Ballerin have 'nothing to lose' in the Derry Junior Championship semi-final

Only one side remains in the Derry Junior Championship that applied their trade in the junior league this season, Ballerin.

The other three clubs, Craigbane, Ballymaguigan, and Lissan, all competed in the intermediate division, making Ballerin massive underdogs to lift the trophy in a couple of weeks.

However, manager Brian Heaney and all those involved with the club are embracing the tag.

He said: “We have nothing to lose.

“Craigbane are a strong side, and they are a fast side too.

"Yes, we are underdogs, but if you believe you are less than someone else, you will always be less, so mentality is important.

“I believe that the squad feels they can do this.”

Ballerin overcame a real test in the quarterfinal as they eliminated the junior league champions, Slaughtmanus.

And they are relishing the test that Craigbane will provide as the club prepares for a season in the intermediate division next season.

Heaney said: “Our goal this season was to get out of junior first and foremost, getting Ballerin back into intermediate; that was the most important thing; anything after that was a bonus.

“When we beat Lissan in the promotion play-off, it gave us a big boost, as it showed we were good enough to compete at intermediate level and showed we could beat anybody in this championship.

“For the last five weeks we have seen a shift in their mentality away from that of a junior side after years in the division, into one that sees they can compete against bigger sides.”

The Friday night fixture is a repeat of the 2022 final, which saw Craigbane crowned champions with a five-point win.

Many would believe it will be the perfect time to enact revenge and knock out the favourites for the championship, but Heaney is looking for retribution from his squad.

He said: “We got to the championship final two years ago against Craigbane; we didn’t perform because we didn’t believe we could win the game.

“This is to prove ourselves now; at that time we couldn’t believe we made the final. This time we have to believe in ourselves that we can overcome this tough challenge. 

“So for me, Friday night is a final; I just want the team to perform, and if they perform like I know they can, they will win the match.”

Ballerin know the challenge won’t be an easy one but believes their preparations have them in the right place.

A recent friendly with Slaughtneil has given the squad a taste of well organised and ruthless opponent, and the coaching ticket has used it to prepare for Friday night.

Heaney said: “They thought we would give them a good tight game.

“The reason we did that was that we wanted to get their heads and belief right, to show they could stand up to a structured senior team.

“Bringing in Martin Kane from Carigan, he captained Carigan for five years, so he has been a big bonus.

“By bringing Marty in, it is a different voice, and he is a winner.

“My brother Ciaran was brought in as a goalkeeping coach, and he has been a big plus as well because in the last two games our keepers have won us the games, to be honest.”